Tomorrow night’s Game Night is the Reading Recreation Commission’s biggest Game Night to date. I’m not sure what our town’s kids will be up to this month when they hit the grass at Bartley Field at 6:30pm. Will they organize another boys vs. girls kickball game? Will it be wiffle ball? Or maybe soccer?
Whatever the kids choose, those activities will be joined by a one-time event for this year’s outdoor Game Nights, and what will probably become a staple.
First the one-time event. Reading’s newly formed (dare I say amateur) horseshoe team will take up the gauntlet thrown down by Weathersfield’s team and play them in a horseshoe tourney. It’s nice that the horseshoe pits at Bartley Field will be put to use again. Also, it’s nice that these fellow Recreation Commissions will be pairing up for some good-natured competition. This is the first of a “home and home” series, with the second happening in Weathersfield in October. I wonder if it will lead to some other co-sponsored events.
The second is the first time the Recreation Commission is hosting a Barbecue Pot Luck. The Rec Commission will provide the charcoal for the grills at the park. All you have to do is bring food for your family and a bit more to share with others. The idea was talked about at the first Game Night in June. In July, Richard Windish, who was handing out sausages and hot dogs that he cooked on his portable grill, showed that the concept can work. This month, the Recreation Commission is putting it into practice!
So don’t forget to dig out your cooler chest, pack some food, and come by. At this writing, Friday is looking to be a perfect summer day to play whatever sport is going on or to just hang out with your friends and neighbors. Remember, community is a participation sport!
To reiterate the specifics, which are noted throughout the paragraphs above, Game Night happens on July 20 at 6:30pm at Bartley Field.
Occurring this afternoon and on Thursdays through July is the “Library Rocks” event. It’s at the happeningest place in town. Tony Pikramenos, our librarian, invites kids (and adults) to hear stories about music, rocks, and animal sounds. Enjoy crafts, snacks, and giveaways.
The program happens at the library (in case you don’t know my nickname for the library that I used above) at 3:30pm.
With those July occurrences noted, it is with a sense of sadness that I move on to discuss—actually preview—the next round of events happening in town. It’s sad because I am talking about things that are happening in August. That means summer is half over. Boo!
Mark your calendars for the very first Puddledock Park Party, which happens on Thursday, August 2, at 5pm. For those of you who don't know, Puddledock Park is the space beside the library. If you remember last year's Produce Swap events, the Puddledock Park Party will be that and more. Stay tuned for further information regarding this event.
The very next night, August 3, is First Friday! The Hall Art Foundation will be open for free self-guided tours. La Pizza Lupo will be selling its delicious pizza right out of the side of its beautiful old Ford pickup. The Hall Art Foundation’s events run from 5pm to 8pm. From 5pm to 7pm, the library will be hosting an Open House and its first ever Random Art Show at Puddledock Park.
Every piece of art tells a story, and the stories behind these random pictures are how you acquired them. Is your random art a painting that you have inexplicably held on to? Is it something that caught your eye at the dump? Is it a work you picked up cheap at a yard sale, or something you found in your attic, left behind by the person who used to own your home?
Whatever its story, display your pretty, campy, or funky (but family-friendly) piece with those of your friends and neighbors. Bring the painting to the library during operating hours by Thursday, August 2 and leave it with Tony. Paintings will be returned after the show. If there is rain, the exhibit will take place in the library. If you have questions, contact Heather Evans at ReadingRandomArts@yahoo.com.
Finally, the Reading Historical Society along with the Vermont Humanities Council will host its second speaker series during First Friday. The talk for August is called "400 Miles Down the Connecticut River." The event is as the Reading Historical Society Museum at 7pm. If it is as engaging as the last presentation the historical society held, it’s going to be a great way to cap off a great First Friday in Reading.
Happy birthday to Darrion Leonard (July 25) and Kim Boisvert (July 25). Happy belated anniversary (of sorts) to me. I wanted to offer myself a bit of congratulations for my 100th column. Had I checked the calendar earlier, I would have done so in the July 4 paper. So happy 102nd column to The Reading Review!
That’s the news from Reading! See you next week!
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